Beneath a Mask of Beauty and Past Centuries
by T'Nietzsche
Summary: It started as a night with the girls for Hungary, until Turkey had to drop off Azerbaijan while attending business in Syria. Hungary has known this girl by name for centuries, but never had the chance to speak to her or even see her face until now. However, despite Hungary not knowing her, Azerbaijan knows the other, but how much is a mystery even to Hungary. Hungary/Azerbaijan.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first yuri story! Woot-woot! :D Anyway, this first chapter doesn't have much Hungary/Azerbaijan action, it's mostly just Hungary, Belgium, Ukraine, and Liechtenstein talking, but because I personally love when others talk about a relationship (beside the people who are in it), I included a lot of that here. This is setting up the next chapter, which has much more Azerbaijan. Don't ask how I even thought about pairing Hungary and Azerbaijan together, I have no idea! ;D So, hopefully you enjoy this little chapter and keep reading (I will hopefully update this weekend)!

This also includes my own personal headcanons about Turkey (my favorite character), so... yeah! :)

Sorry if anyone's OOC!

Belgium= Charlotte Kuijpers  
Ukraine= Irunya Chernenko  
Liechtenstein= Eva Vogel  
Azerbaijan= Aysel Adigozalova (formerly Adnan before Russian occupation)

Mentioned:  
Philippines= Dalisay Matapang  
Netherlands= Bastiaan Kuijpers  
Denmark= Mathias Køhler

Pairings Mentioned:  
NedPan (Netherlands/Japan)  
DenNor (Denmark/Norway)  
TurGre (Turkey/Greece)

* * *

The sun was starting to set over Kiev, silhouetting the Ukrainian skyline and leaving red, pink, and yellow colors to settle on the distant horizon. However, the beauty of the evening was unnoticed by Elizabeta as she and Charlotte strode up to Irunya's door.

"Eva's already here, right? I tried calling Vash to ask if he'd like me to accompany her here, but he didn't answer!" Charlotte sighed, exasperated.

"Don't worry, Char. She got here this morning." Elizabeta smiled at her Belgian friend. "And don't call Vash. He probably doesn't want to waste his minutes." Charlotte slapped her arm with a mock-offended huff. "You know what I mean!"

"I know, I know," said Charlotte, and they both dropped their bags on the Ukrainian's porch simultaneously, creating a loud noise that was followed by a shriek from inside.

The door opened quickly afterwards, and a frightened Irunya appeared in front of them.

"My goodness, don't scare me like that again, please!" A few tears rolled down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them and embraced Elizabeta and Charlotte.

"Sorry about that," Charlotte apologized, and patted her shoulder a few times before pulling away to grab her suitcase.

"Won't happen again, Irunya," promised Elizabeta, and Irunya smiled.

"I'll hold you to that, Erzsi." Irunya waggled her finger at the Hungarian in a joking but threatening way. "I still have your skillet."

"When can I have that back?" Elizabeta asked, putting her hands on her hips and pouting.

"When we deem you ready." Charlotte smirked and brushed past Irunya into the small house. Elizabeta stuck her tongue out at her and grabbed her suitcase as well, before following Irunya and Charlotte inside.

"It smells wonderful in here!" Elizabeta exclaimed as they walked into the living room. "Eva!"

"Elizabeta!"

The Liechtensteiner ran up to her and hugged her tightly around the waist. Elizabeta swayed them toward Charlotte, who joined in, while Irunya smiled and observed them from the adjoining kitchen.

Finally, after a minute of hugging, they each pulled away, and Elizabeta turned to Irunya.

"What're we eating?" she asked, and added, "I bet it's fantastic."

Irunya blushed and shook her head modestly. "It's just pork and fresh biscuits."

"Simple is better," Charlotte said approvingly, and Elizabeta laughed.

"You're just saying that because that's how people describe you," the Hungarian amusedly pointed out, and Charlotte huffed.

"Well, then," Charlotte said, rolling her eyes and dramatically turning away from Elizabeta. "Mean."

"I like the word 'catty' better, but I think that would describe you much better, dear Char," Elizabeta said, and Charlotte purred in gratitude before they both burst out laughing.

"You two are like kittens, both lovable and feisty," Irunya giggled as she came into the living room carrying two plates in her hands and balancing two more on her arms. "Come here and get a plate, we can just eat on the floor by the fire."

"Sounds good to me," said Charlotte, and took a plate. She set it down on the floor and sat on her stomach, kicking her feet up behind her as she rested her head between her palms.

"I'm starving," Eva confessed, and she quickly grabbed a plate before sitting next to Charlotte. "Thank you, Miss Chernenko."

"It's no problem, Eva. And remember, I told you to call me Irunya. No need to be formal," Irunya said kindly, and Eva smiled gratefully. Elizabeta grinned, thinking it was cute how Eva still called the Ukrainian "Miss Chernenko." One of the reasons she did was because Irunya was the oldest of the four of them, and probably also because Eva was closer to Elizabeta and Charlotte due to geography than to Irunya, so she felt the need to address her more formally.

"Everything is so cute today," Elizabeta said, bursting with excitement, though she took time to nod her thanks to Irunya as she grabbed a plate of pork and a single plump biscuit. "Oh my God, it's like a golden pillow with extra feathers inside!"

Eva giggled. "You are right, Elizabeta!"

"Of course I am!" the Hungarian joked. "I said it, didn't I? And no wise cracks, Char, let me have my moment."

Charlotte rolled her eyes but was amused. "What else is cute today?"

"Everything!" Elizabeta chirped.

"That's quite vague, Erzsi," Irunya pointed out, and Elizabeta gestured for them to wait a moment while she swallowed some pork.

"I know. But anyway, cuteness galore! I just found out that France, despite how perverted he is, has just asked Canada out! And he said yes!"

Charlotte and Eva squealed in delight, while Irunya gave a few congratulatory claps despite the fact that neither France nor Canada would ever know.

"I have to tell Kiku tomorrow, and we're probably going to meet up a few days after that to set up cameras near their houses and find out where they're going for their dates," said Elizabeta excitedly.

"I thought you would outgrow the stalking as you got older, Liz," Charlotte said, laughing.

"No, I will do more stalking now because it's easier with the new technology. I love the modern period!" Elizabeta exclaimed, cheering internally before reminding herself to report more on the cuteness. "Also, Dalisay sent me a few pictures of Iceland and Hong Kong kissing. So adorable! Annyira aranyos együtt!"

"Now that's a cute couple! Not that France and Canada aren't, of course, but this is young love! Not that Canada's not young. Oh whatever, the point is that they're cute, both of them!" Irunya finished, flushed but still joyful.

"Oh God, Iceland is Norway's younger brother, right?" Charlotte asked, waiting for confirmation. Eva nodded yes. "I wonder how Norway will react to finding out his little brother is dating Hong Kong."

"Now that's a reaction I must get on camera!" Elizabeta declared, and Charlotte agreed vigorously. "Oh, and speaking of Norway…" She trailed off with a wicked grin on her face.

"What happened?" Eva asked curiously, and Irunya leaned closer in anticipation.

"I heard that he's jealous of your brother, Char," Elizabeta said, waggling her eyebrows.

"Why?" Charlotte asked, genuinely clueless.

"Ned's been hanging out with Denmark a lot more often these past few weeks since Prussia's with France and Spain, and Alfred and Dalisay have been busy doing whatever they do."

"Was Alfred with Dalisay during the typhoon?" Irunya asked, concerned for the American.

"Yeah, they're both safe, though. They actually ended up flying to Hong Kong right before it hit, which is when she took the pictures. She didn't want to leave, but Alfred insisted," Elizabeta said, and Charlotte let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God, can you imagine if they were there right where it happened?" Charlotte sounded distressed.

"That would be awful," Eva agreed, and Irunya hugged the young Liechtensteiner.

"At least we know they're safe," she said comfortingly in a motherly manner, before turning back to Elizabeta. "So, what's going on with Norway, then?"

"Oh, right!" Elizabeta was instantly happy again, thinking about all the yaoi that was occurring. She grinned and continued. "Anyway, so Norway's jealous of Ned being with Denmark instead of with him, and Denmark's totally oblivious. It's really adorable because you can tell that Norway's really mad and I'm pretty sure Ned knows and as usual, Den doesn't know anything, though he might because he's actually more observant than most think he is, but I don't think so when it comes to love."

"Erzsi, breathe," Irunya said, laughing.

"I have noticed that Bastiaan is with Mathias more, but I didn't think Norway would be jealous!" Charlotte said, partly in amazement. "How do you know he's jealous?"

"I spoke to Tino this morning, who visited Mathias's house along with Norway the day before, and he said that when Norway saw Den laughing with Ned at something, he squeezed his glass of water so hard that it broke and shattered into a million pieces! When Mathias tried to help him, he snapped at him and told him to be a good host to 'Mr. Kuijpers,' glared at Ned, then left the house. Sounds very dramatic to me, don't you agree?" Elizabeta grinned, and Eva clapped her hands together enthusiastically.

"Mr. Norway is so in love with Mr. Denmark, it reminds me of bruder and Dalisay, only they've been together for a long time now," said Eva, and she burst out laughing along with Elizabeta and Irunya when they all turned to look at Charlotte's stunned face.

"My brother? Laughing? I never thought I'd hear those two words in the same sentence!" Charlotte exclaimed dazedly, and she put her hand over her heart. "This is a revelation."

"Revelation, my dear Char?" Elizabeta asked incredulously. "You're going to die when you hear my last piece of information!"

"What is it?" Charlotte asked, grasping Elizabeta's arms desperately. Eva and Irunya both quieted down to hear.

Elizabeta leaned forward slowly to make them anxious, and finally whispered, "Ned's been messing around with Kiku again!"

Charlotte's jaw dropped, and both Eva and Irunya moved to close her mouth as Elizabeta burst out laughing.

"Bastiaan? And Japan? Again? There was a first time?!" Charlotte looked like she just found out the world was ending, though she was not angry. Just very shocked. "If it wasn't you who was saying this, I wouldn't believe it!"

"Come now, Charlotte. It's not so weird that Bastiaan is in love and can laugh. He just doesn't do it very often," Irunya said, rubbing circles on the Belgian's back.

"Doesn't love very often? He's never loved anyone! And he promised he'd tell me if he ever did!" exclaimed Charlotte, but a smile slowly started stretching across her face. "Actually, I think I know. When Bastiaan used to go to Japan while Kiku was isolationist! When he came back, he would always take a tulip by the stem and twirl it around with his fingers and look off into the distance like in some romance novel where the couple is separated by the sea. I'd always ask him what he was looking for out there, and he'd say, 'Nothing. Just looking.' Then he'd toss the tulip into the water and light his pipe. He must've been thinking of Kiku!"

"Duh," said Elizabeta, rolling her eyes at the blonde, and Charlotte gave her a friendly push.

"Everything suddenly makes sense now," said Charlotte, and she let out a few laughs, before she smirked slyly. "Are there any pictures of him and Kiku?"

"I think so, but Kiku hasn't given me any. Up until recently, I've had no reason to set up any cameras near his house. I'm definitely gonna start now," said Elizabeta, "and I'll ask for pictures."

"I really want to see these," Charlotte said, rubbing her hands together maniacally. "I can use these for blackmail!"

Eva smiled cutely and turned to Elizabeta. "I think they're perfect together, don't you?"

"I agree 100%, they're so different, but it's exotic and foreign and sexy, and just adorable!" Elizabeta grinned happily. "There's so much yaoi love, it's beautiful!"

"You sound so much like France, Erzsi!" Irunya laughed, and Elizabeta's face fell before she lit up again.

"Oh gosh, you're right! Well, I can't help it, we both love love!" said Elizabeta, and she grimaced at the double wording. "Damn English, I hate when that happens."

"So do I," said Irunya, and they both shared a knowing look before the phone suddenly rang. Irunya got up as quickly as she could, rushing to the other side of the room to pick it up.

"Put it on speaker!" Elizabeta said in a hushed voice, grinning. Charlotte and Eva giggled and watched Irunya. The Ukrainian shook her head and smiled fondly before answering.

"Pryvit?"

"Merhaba, Irunya."

Elizabeta's, Charlotte's, and Eva's mouths all fell open at the same time when they heard the man's voice.

"Hello, Mr. Adnan," said Irunya in a friendly tone. "How have you been?"

"Since when does Irunya talk to Turkey?" Charlotte whispered curiously, and Elizabeta shrugged. She herself hadn't spoken to Turkey in a while, and although they used to not be on the best of terms, they were amicable now, though they didn't speak often. It had been a long time since the Ottoman Empire, and World Meetings didn't give her much time to mingle with other people besides with the ones she usually did talk to.

"Fine, I suppose. I've been dealing with Syria a lot more lately," the Turk answered, a hint of distaste in his voice, and Irunya grimaced. "Speaking of Syria, may I ask a favor of you? It's a bit urgent and of short notice, which I'm sorry for, but can you watch Aysel for a few days? I have to go to Damascus and I don't want her to come with me, and I don't want her to stay in Istanbul alone waiting for me. Besides, she's wanted to see you for a while now."

"That's quite all right, Sadık. She can stay here while you're there; I certainly wouldn't want her to go either. Just be careful while you're gone, yes? I wouldn't want something to happen to you, Aysel would be so distraught."

"I'll be careful, Irunya. Aren't I always?" he asked, chuckling, and Irunya laughed. Elizabeta scanned her face briefly for any signs of interest, but it seemed that her and Turkey's relationship was only platonic. At least on the outside. Elizabeta would do more questioning later.

"No, not really, Mr. Adnan," she said, amused.

"Back to that, are we, Miss Chernenko? Ah well, I enjoyed it while it lasted," he said, and Charlotte raised an eyebrow at Irunya, who was blushing. Elizabeta winked at Charlotte and pointed to Eva, who was intensely focused on the phone.

"When will she be here?" Irunya asked, still smiling, and the Turk answered almost immediately.

"In half an hour. I would've called sooner, but Aysel was running through a list of reasons of why I must be careful, and how to be. Little brat she is," Turkey said with the utmost fondness, before he cleared his throat and turned slightly more serious. "Will you be ready, or should I stall a bit?"

"No, no, Sadık. I'll be ready by then. I have a few friends over, but they're very kind. Besides, I'll deal with them if they do something to her," said Irunya, and she gave a warning look to Elizabeta, Charlotte, and Eva. Elizabeta shook her head with a mock-disapproving expression on her face, and Charlotte pouted playfully.

"That sounds good. Thank you, Irunya. Güle güle."

"Do pobachennya!" Irunya hung up the phone and smiled at them.

"So, who's our guest?" Charlotte asked, and Elizabeta wrapped an arm about the Belgian's shoulders and leaned closer to hear.

"Aysel. Azerbaijan. She's related to Sadık, but I wouldn't call them siblings because he's so much older," said Irunya, and Charlotte burst out laughing at the description.

"He isn't that old, is he?" asked Charlotte with wide eyes. Elizabeta and Irunya shared a look.

"He's very old. One of the oldest. I think he's actually the second oldest of all the nations," said Elizabeta, and both Charlotte's and Eva's eyes widened.

"Wow," Charlotte said, looking both astounded and impressed.

"I haven't seen Azerbaijan in centuries," Elizabeta said, her head swimming in nostalgia. She could hardly believe how fast the years had gone by, now that she thought of them. "The last time I saw her was the day I left for Roderich, but I've never spoken to her. I've hardly seen her face, come to think of it! She usually covered it, and when I was still in the Ottoman Empire, Turkey had two houses, one in Istanbul, where the Europeans stayed and he usually stayed, but when he left, he went to the other house, which had the others, and I guess that's where Azerbaijan usually was. But eventually he let us move out, even the ones who were still under his control."

Charlotte and Eva looked very interested in what she remembered, and she continued. "And during the Soviet Union! I was always here, I convinced Braginsky to let me stay in Budapest. But my second choice would've been here with you, Irunya." She smiled at the Ukrainian briefly before delving back into her memories. "Didn't she stay with you sometimes, Irunya?"

"I'd say more often than sometimes. When she wasn't with me, she was with Sadık. He fought tooth and nail with Vanya to see her as often as possible, though in the later years, he bypassed Vanya and came straight to me for her," said Irunya, and she smiled softly. "He is very good to her."

"Do you like Mr. Turkey?" Eva asked innocently, and Irunya looked almost startled at the question. Charlotte looked at Irunya like she'd never seen her before, and Elizabeta knew at that moment that the Ukrainian had been caught.

"So you did! Or do!" Elizabeta exclaimed, pointing at her excitedly, not accusingly. She wanted Irunya to spill. She gestured for her to talk.

"No, I don't now. I guess I did before, a few centuries ago, but it wouldn't have worked out," said Irunya calmly, and Elizabeta realized from her tone that even if she had liked Turkey before, the feeling was obviously gone now, and she liked him as a friend, and not anything else.

"Why not?" asked Charlotte, and Irunya laughed.

"Because of Greece," she answered, and Elizabeta grinned at the prospect. Turkey and Greece together!

"Heracles Karpusi?" Charlotte thought about it for a moment before she turned to Elizabeta with a growing smile on her face. "Liz, think about how cute they are together!"

"Already thinking about it, my comrade," said Elizabeta, nodding approvingly. "I have to get some cameras for them, too!"

"Sadık has always been fond of him," said Irunya, "though Greece misinterprets that fondness."

"It's his nomad side," said Elizabeta, and she remembered the short years of her own nomadic existence. "He'll never go easy on Heracles, he wants him to be the best he can be, and the only way he knows how to show that is for him to constantly pester and compete with him. Nomads are in a constant battle, a continuous contest with death and for food, and he wants Heracles to be on his toes at all times."

"I'd actually find that a bit annoying, to be honest," Charlotte said, though she looked a bit ashamed to admit it.

"I would too unless I knew why, and Heracles doesn't know why, so that's why he hates Turkey. If he knew, he'd be amazed at how much Turkey cares for him," Elizabeta said, and Eva cocked her head to the side.

"Maybe I just heard you wrong before, but didn't you used to not like Mr. Turkey as well?" the Liechtensteiner asked, and Elizabeta thought for a moment before putting into words how she felt about Turkey.

"I hated that the Ottoman Empire conquered my people, but I never hated him. He could be annoying in the way I just described, but otherwise, he was quite nice, though scary if he was angry, which wasn't too often. He understood a lot more about our personal problems than I thought he ever could, and he never harmed us physically. He'd yell sometimes, but now that I think of it, it was for the best. He wasn't cruel at all, really, and he never forced us to do anything he wouldn't do himself. He never forced us to convert to Islam, or anything. And one thing that stands out to me is that not once did I see him with anyone during all those years, and even after. You know how rumors go around of France and England and other empires? You know, rumors pertaining to their sex lives?" Charlotte, Irunya, and even Eva nodded. "Well, I don't think Turkey ever once slept with anyone."

Irunya smiled slightly. "I can believe that. He was always focused on other things, and I think watching Greece grow up and become an adult was enough for him."

"That could sound slightly perverted, but I think it's sweet," said Charlotte, smiling. "I honestly would've never thought this about him. Then again, I didn't think of him much to begin with. If I ever talked about him before, it was probably because Bastiaan wanted to be the 'tulip country.'"

"I wouldn't think it either. Even Roderich had his assumptions, but I set him straight, though he still wasn't too fond of him. I was a bit sore with Turkey until World War I, actually. But besides the restrictions and the conquering, he really wasn't that bad. Heracles is angry because of what happened to his people, which Turkey couldn't control himself, and because of how he is to him now," said Elizabeta, and Irunya hummed thoughtfully.

"When he smiles, the mask hides the affection from his eyes, and he looks like he's smirking. He does this a lot in Greece's presence, I've seen it before at meetings. At least, the ones that Sadık attends," Irunya said. "And so Greece is left in the dark about his feelings."

"This is very in-depth, I feel bad that I can't contribute more because I don't know him very well," Charlotte confessed, and Elizabeta hugged her friend.

"Don't feel bad, we probably shouldn't be talking so much about him anyway since Azerbaijan is coming over," Elizabeta said into Charlotte's blonde hair, and just as Charlotte was about to respond, they were all startled by three loud knocks to the wooden door.

"That's him," said Irunya, and she got up and practically skipped to the door to greet the Turk and the Azerbaijani. Charlotte and Eva looked at each other nervously but excitedly, and Elizabeta stared at the doorway where they would enter at any second. She was curious to see what Azerbaijan looked like now.

Irunya greeted them warmly and beckoned them inside, but nobody came through the door.

"I have to leave immediately, my flight is scheduled to leave in twenty minutes," Turkey said quickly, and from the quiet whispers and sounds of clothes rustling, Elizabeta guessed that he was hugging Azerbaijan and saying his goodbyes. "I'll be back in three days, Aysel. I probably won't be able to call you, so I'll just see you then. Be good, and I'll be back."

"I'm not a child," a quiet voice said fondly, "but please do be careful, Sadık. It's not safe there."

"Is it anywhere?" Turkey chuckled, but Elizabeta heard the resigned knowledge of "no, it's not safe" in there. "Don't worry about me. I'll see you later. Elveda, Aysel."

"Sağolun, Sadık," the girl, Aysel, said sadly, and Elizabeta heard the Turk's footsteps fade as he walked away from the house.

"Pryvit, Aysel. Come in, it's very cold. Autumn is settling in, I can feel it," said Irunya kindly, leading the girl inside the house. Elizabeta could only see her silhouette in the dim hallway, but as soon as the Azerbaijani stepped into the lit living room, Elizabeta stopped breathing.

She was wearing a flowing light pink abaya and a turquoise hijab, but besides her colorful clothes, what really attracted Elizabeta was the small, shy smile adorning her beautiful face. The Hungarian had known for a while that she preferred females over males, mostly because she was somewhat manly herself, but she had never really been in a relationship with one. Roderich was her one major relationship, but he had always been hung up on Prussia (which she questioned his sanity for), and Prussia had always seemed to have a weak spot (albeit very unnoticeable to many) for Roderich, which was the only reason why she didn't smack him around more often with her skillet, which Irunya took from her a few months ago.

But when the girl, Aysel, looked at her directly with her chocolate brown eyes, air came rushing back into her lungs, and although she knew it was impossible because this was the first time she'd ever seen the Azerbaijani up close, the girl's eyes sparkled with adoration and familiarity.

Elizabeta brushed off the knowing gaze of Aysel and smiled brightly as she stood up to greet her.

"Szia! I am Elizabeta Héderváry, the nation of Hungary…"

* * *

Annyira aranyos együtt= they are so cute together (Hungarian)  
Pryvit= hello (Ukrainian)  
Elveda= goodbye (Turkish)  
Güle güle= goodbye (Turkish)  
Sağolun= goodbye (Azerbaijani)

Sorry if there are any wrong translations, I'm rushing this and I'll fix it later if I must!


	2. Chapter 2

So, this is the second chapter! There's a bit more Hungary/Azerbaijan, but it's not really gonna start for another one or two chapters. At least, their alone time. But they're still spending time together, so it's good enough for right now. Anyway, two quick pronunciations: Aysel is pronounced aye-SELL, and Rozafa Hoxha is pronounced row-ZAH-fa HO-jah. Oh, and I never remember these, but disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, just my OC, Azerbaijan (Aysel Adnan Adigozalova).

Pairings Mentioned:  
RusAmeUk (it's a triangle, not a threesome!)  
NedPan  
TurGre  
Ecuador/Belgium (aren't Ecuador and his alpaca just adorable?)  
Spamano  
Switzerland/Philippines (the Philippines/Dalisay Matapang= another OC of mine)

Oh, and last notes: I'm sorry if any characters are OOC. Like, all of them (except Azerbaijan, of course, 'cause she's mine). If they are, if you could give me some advice, that'd be great and much appreciated! And in this, there's a brief mention of Armenia. I realize that Azerbaijan and Armenia aren't on the best of terms, so please don't be offended by Azerbaijan's opinion, because it is (hopefully) somewhat realistic. I personally do not take sides when it comes to Azerbaijan and Armenia, this is just a story, which happens to have Azerbaijan, so obviously her opinion will be shown, but I am neutral. And Turkey will be mentioned a lot in this story because of his closeness to Aysel and the closeness of relations between the Republics of Turkey and Azerbaijan (described as "one nation, two states").

* * *

Aysel looked at Elizabeta like she was the only person in the room, and the thing was, the Hungarian didn't mind at all. She had absolutely no idea why she would look at her like that, but she aimed to find out.

"Hello, I am Aysel Adigozalova, Republic of Azerbaijan," she responded, a hint of a red blush blooming across her cheeks.

"You never changed your name back to Adnan?" Irunya asked, and the girl turned around to face the Ukrainian, who held Aysel's small bag.

"It's my middle name now," she said shyly, and Irunya let out a small "ah."

Charlotte and Eva introduced themselves politely and Elizabeta gestured for the Azerbaijani to sit beside her on the floor near the fire. Aysel moved across the room in a matter of seconds and sat close to her, much to her delight. Charlotte raised an eyebrow and winked at Eva, but Elizabeta ignored them. Aysel must not have noticed either, because she moved closer until their legs were brushing together.

"Have you had dinner, Aysel?" Irunya asked, breaking the almost-awkward silence as she entered the living room and sat next to Eva.

"Yes, Sadık made baklava before we left. Although it is a dessert, it was quite filling," said Aysel, and Irunya smiled.

"That's good. If you get hungry, though, remember that there is food for you," she said, and Aysel smiled gratefully.

It was quiet for a few minutes after that as Elizabeta, Charlotte, Eva, and Irunya finished eating. Aysel sat patiently, her eyes more often than not flicking over to Elizabeta, who, for the first time in a while, felt self-conscious, though she tried to hide it and pretend she didn't notice the girl's searching eyes.

When Elizabeta finished, she decided that the best thing to do was talk about yaoi to lighten the mood a bit and hopefully incorporate Aysel into a conversation she could understand and contribute to.

"So, Aysel, do you know England?" she asked, and Aysel turned quickly to face her and nodded enthusiastically, spurring Elizabeta onward. "Do you know America?" More nodding. "And you obviously know Russia."

"Are you going to speak of a love triangle?" Aysel asked with a giggle, her voice going soft and almost whispery like they were gossiping about scandalous rumors.

"Oh, I _like_ you," Elizabeta said, grinning, and Aysel flushed darkly, almost embarrassed, but the quivering, excited smile on her face showed her obvious delight. "You are exactly right, darling! This is so exciting!"

"My brother has shown an interest in Alfred since the 1800's, I think," said Irunya, and Charlotte let out a short, incredulous laugh.

"I would've never guessed by the way Braginsky hated him during the Cold War," said Charlotte, before her lips curved up into a smirk. She turned to Elizabeta and asked, "Can you imagine the hate sex?"

"Oh my God, that would be so beautiful if it was caught on tape!" Elizabeta squealed, and Irunya looked disturbed.

"I thank the Lord I never needed to live with my brother, then. But how do you know he actually did sleep with Alfred?" asked Irunya, eyes wide.

"I thought Mr. Jones loved Mr. Kirkland," said Eva, and Charlotte gasped.

"Oh yeah! Didn't he?" Charlotte asked Elizabeta. The Hungarian nodded, and suddenly sadness made the room go slightly cold despite the fire.

"Dalisay said that Mr. Jones wanted freedom from Mr. Kirkland so they could be together as lovers someday," Eva continued, and a collective sigh filled the room.

"That's so beautiful, yet so sad. I'm so conflicted!" Elizabeta dabbed at the tears in her eyes, and she caught sight of Aysel looking at her with concern before turning away quickly to face Irunya, who let out a few watery sobs.

"I'm conflicted, too! I want Vanya to be happy, but I want Alfred to freely choose!"

"Who do you think Alfred should be with? England or Russia?" Aysel asked Elizabeta, looking at her once again like no one else was in the room. Elizabeta felt like she could have that gaze upon her all the time and never grow tired of it.

"Good question, Aysel," she said, smiling and patting the girl's shoulder. She turned to the others, completely aware of the Azerbaijani's gaze. "Girls, let's discuss. Who should he be with?"

"In the end, it's up to Alfred, you realize that?" Charlotte asked, and Elizabeta rolled her eyes.

"Of course I know that, dear Char," Elizabeta said flippantly, just barely noticing a slightly jealous look in Aysel's eyes at the nickname, "but we can still have opinions. Let's start with you, then, Charlotte."

The Belgian stuck her tongue out and thought for a moment. "I think he should choose Arthur. They have much more in common, never truly hated each other, and he's safer. No offense, Irunya."

"None taken, Charlotte," said Irunya, laughing a bit. "I'm well aware of what people think of my brother, and how he is. But he's my younger brother, and although that doesn't make it obligatory to love him, it does to me."

"So I don't have to love Bastiaan?" Charlotte joked, and Elizabeta and Irunya burst out laughing.

"I have to love Vash, though, he's given me a home and a family," Eva said between her laughter, and out of the corner of Elizabeta's eye, she saw Aysel smile gently at Eva and agree.

"I feel like I have to love my brother, too, but I'm not forced to actually do so, though I do. He's been so good to me and he sides with me when Armenia and I fight," Aysel said, her voice hardening slightly at the mention of Armenia. Elizabeta had the general knowledge of what happened between their two nations, but she didn't think the Azerbaijani was the type to hate. It meant there was more to learn, the Hungarian thought to herself, and she was excited at the opportunity.

Eva clearly didn't know how to respond, so Elizabeta decided to save her the trouble of figuring something out.

"What about you, Eva?" she asked, and Eva looked relieved that she didn't have to answer. Aysel brought her knees to her chest and hugged herself tightly, blushing embarrassedly, and Elizabeta had the sudden urge to unwrap the girl's arms from around her legs and instead wrap them around her own body and perhaps...

She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. She couldn't believe herself. She had only just met the girl, and she was already having these kinds of thoughts. Elizabeta suddenly felt ashamed of herself, but before she could think any more, Eva was answering her question.

"I think he should choose the one who makes him happy, and I… I think that would be Arthur, in this case," said Eva, and she mouthed a quick "sorry" to Irunya, who shrugged and smiled part sadly and part resignedly.

"What do you think, Aysel?" Elizabeta asked, smiling gently at the Azerbaijani, who looked like she had burrowed into her clothes.

Aysel shyly pushed her hijab back, for the first time allowing them to see her black hair, and she took it off, folding it quickly and placing it on her knees.

"I don't really have an opinion, but whoever treats him well is who he should choose. If both, then he'll have to decide on his own, but maybe he should pick Russia because if he truly loved England, then he wouldn't have fallen in love with Russia," said Aysel, and Elizabeta grinned.

"That was beautiful, darling!" said Elizabeta, and they both smiled at each other, and Elizabeta leaned forward slightly, intensely focused on Aysel's brown eyes, when Charlotte cleared her throat and gave them a cat-like smirk.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt something, Liz?" she asked, and she licked her lips suggestively.

Aysel was still smiling, but she stared intently at the floor, not brave enough to look up. Elizabeta smiled at the cuteness of it all, though she didn't think anything of flipping Charlotte off as she focused on Aysel again.

"Don't pay attention to Char, Aysel, she's a catty bitch on the outside, but a good friend and still a catty bitch on the inside as well," she said, and Aysel looked up again with laughing eyes.

"Thank you, Liz," said Charlotte, laughing, and Elizabeta gave her a sadistically saccharine smile.

"I'll get you for that, Char," Elizabeta said, pointing her finger at her and giving her a smug look.

"Let's see you try!" Charlotte shot back, grinning. Elizabeta was happy that they were back to being best friends, although they'd never actually been angry at each other, but she would've liked to stay in that cute moment with Aysel for a while longer.

"Charlotte, Erzsi, control yourselves," Irunya warned jokingly, and Eva giggled. Aysel looked intrigued at the name.

"Erzsi?" she asked quietly, as if simply testing how it sounded, though Elizabeta knew she wanted to know what it meant.

"It's a nickname of mine," she explained, but Aysel still looked confused.

"I thought Liz was a nickname," the girl said, and Elizabeta smiled.

"It's a nickname for Elizabeta, but the Hungarian version of Elizabeta is Erzsébet, so my other nickname is Erzsi."

"Why do you say your name is Elizabeta if it is Erzsébet in your language?" Suddenly Aysel looked ashamed to be asking. "I'm sorry, you do not have to answer."

"It's all right, Aysel," Elizabeta said, touched by her cuteness. "Most people end up mispronouncing my actual name, so I just say it's Elizabeta to make it easier for them."

"Can I call you Erzsébet?" Aysel asked, hopefulness seeping into her voice.

"Of course you can!" Elizabeta said, and this time, even Eva looked at her and Aysel curiously, along with Charlotte. Irunya didn't seem to be any more or less interested than before, smiling calmly and watching the fire burn.

"What were we talking about before?" Charlotte asked, and they all started laughing. Elizabeta looked down at her watch and saw that it was around eight o'clock. So much had happened in just a few hours, it was mindboggling to her.

"Mr. Jones, Mr. Kirkland, and Mr. Braginsky," said Eva, and Charlotte let out an "ah."

"So, Irunya, what do you think? Your brother or Kirkland?" Elizabeta asked, getting into the "yaoi zone" again.

Irunya laughed and buried her face into her hands. "Goodness, I don't know, Elizabeta. Of course I'd like to say my brother, but I don't know how well they know each other anymore. Vanya doesn't speak much of relationships to me."

"Boys," Charlotte groaned, and Irunya sighed in agreement. "Bastiaan doesn't tell me anything either."

"Big bruder never talks about his feelings willingly, but if I ask enough times, he will. Usually we talk about Dalisay, or sometimes I overhear him talking to her, and then they go silent. And then the bed starts shaking, like they're moving on it or some-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Charlotte gasped, holding her hand up to stop her. "We most definitely do not need to know about her and Vash's sex life!"

"No, no, tell me more, Eva," said Elizabeta, eagerly turning her eyes to the Liechtensteiner until she heard Aysel start laughing. She moved as if struck in order to turn to Aysel, and she took in the form of the laughing girl.

_Can this even be possible? Can it be possible to fall so quickly, or does it mean I might in the future?_

Whatever Elizabeta thought, though, wouldn't matter. The other nations, besides Aysel, already saw something there. Something real. Elizabeta knew it was there, too, but it seemed too fast. She only just met the girl and seen her face for the first time, even though they'd been in the same empire. Twice even, counting the Soviet Union. But despite all that, Aysel Adnan Adigozalova had always remained a mystery, her face, her personality, even her name. The only thing she could have gone off of had been her silhouette, darkness masking her face as Elizabeta left the Ottoman Empire to be with Roderich, or when she adamantly refused to leave Budapest after communism and the Soviets took hold. Perhaps it was just curiosity fueling this sudden interest, or maybe attraction. But whatever it was, it was pleasant and for once it was nice to be in the drama instead of just watching it from the outside.

"Aysel, what does Turkey look like without his mask?" Elizabeta asked, blurting out the one thing she could think of after her previous thoughts.

Aysel stopped laughing and cocked her head to the side in what seemed like the cutest way ever to Elizabeta and smiled slightly. "He's very handsome, I think. He just doesn't like taking off his mask."

"Do you have a picture?" Charlotte asked, curious and excited. Eva looked the same.

Irunya giggled. "I've seen him once without his mask, I can tell you that Aysel is not biased towards him."

"That makes me even more curious to see him," said Elizabeta, smiling encouragingly at Aysel, whose brown cheeks were once again red with all the attention.

"I have a picture of him on my cell phone," said Aysel, and pulled it out from what seemed like a secret pocket on the side of her abaya. She quickly scrolled through her phone before showing it to everyone. "Here he is."

They all blinked, staring at the man who'd always hid his face. Elizabeta was astonished to see a long scar running from above his right eyebrow, across his nose diagonally, and ending just below his left eye. The mask he wore must've been used to hide it. But despite the long scar that just barely marred his flesh where the mask was (it must've been old because it looked healed, though the mark would probably never fade), he was quite handsome. She grinned impishly to herself, thinking of how lucky Greece would be someday. She knew the others thought the same thing.

Elizabeta whistled wolfishly, and Charlotte hummed approvingly, while Eva and Irunya giggled at their reactions. Aysel looked quietly proud of the Turk they were all admiring. Now that Elizabeta looked at her again, she noticed that her and Turkey looked very similar, and she had inherited many of his features, but with just enough differences to distinguish them, though there was no denying that they were related.

"Yum," Charlotte purred, and Elizabeta slapped her arm playfully.

"Hush, dear Char, we are in front of his beautiful sister," she said, and she smiled charmingly at the Azerbaijani, who straightened up at the compliment.

"Where did he get that scar?" asked Charlotte, and Aysel frowned.

"In a battle with Arabs," she answered, "a very long time ago."

Charlotte didn't push her further, which Elizabeta was grateful for. Aysel didn't look comfortable with the topic. The Azerbaijani closed her phone and everyone knew that that was the end of the backstory.

"Well, he's certainly a catch," said Elizabeta, and she winked at Aysel. "What do you think of him and Greece together?"

"They are together?" she asked, shocked.

"They're not together, but Erzsi and Charlotte believe they're a cute couple," Irunya said reassuringly, and Aysel let out a sigh of relief.

"I think I almost just died," she said, her voice slightly shaky, and the rest of them burst out laughing. Elizabeta recovered first and leaned closer to her.

"But they are cute, aren't they?" she asked, and Aysel rolled her eyes, but she suddenly looked afraid.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," she apologized, and Elizabeta felt her heart ache at how perfect this girl was.

"Don't apologize, Aysel. Charlotte does that all the time," she said, and Charlotte huffed in fake annoyance.

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Liz!" Charlotte exclaimed, and Elizabeta smiled wickedly.

"You know you love me, dear Char," she crowed, and licked her lips. "C'mon, gimme a kiss!"

"I hate you sometimes," Charlotte said, but she still laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Elizabeta grinned proudly, but when she looked at Aysel, it faded slightly. She looked upset and disappointed, but was trying to hide it beneath a quivering, small smile. Elizabeta knew she had to stop with the "flirting" until she found out why Aysel got so upset. She realized that yes, it could be because she's jealous, but Elizabeta knew that it couldn't be what she thought it was. She was so young, Elizabeta wondered if even regular humans fell in love that quickly with such a limited lifespan.

Unless she already knew her. But that was impossible. If Elizabeta had never seen her face or known her name until tonight, she doubted the Azerbaijani had ever tried to find out more about her.

"I guess they would be," Aysel said, continuing the conversation, her voice stronger now. "But Greece hates Sadık."

"Are you sure he hates him?" Elizabeta asked, winking suggestively. "Maybe he just _loves _to hate him."

"I'm not sure. I don't speak to Greece that often, and I've never really been around when he and Sadık are together," said Aysel, a thoughtful look coming onto her face. "I suppose he does that on purpose, so I don't see him and Greece fight."

"You're on good terms with Heracles, aren't you?" asked Charlotte, and Aysel shrugged.

"More like okay terms. I'm not particularly fond of him, but he's all right. I much prefer to be around Sadık. People get the wrong idea of him, only us Turkic nations know how he truly is, including Mehmet."

"Who is Mehmet?" asked Eva, and Aysel giggled amusedly.

"It's the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Only Sadık's country recognizes him as a legitimate state. Not even my own does, though as a human, I do."

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Elizabeta's head. "Turkey's the one who always mentioned a distinct separation between us as nations and us as humans."

"Yes, Mr. Greece isn't the only one who can be philosophical," said Aysel, smiling. "Sadık often talks to me about the importance of separating the different parts of ourselves. It, and by extension, him, has influenced much of my life."

"Now I'm curious to hear these philosophies," said Charlotte, and Aysel looked excited.

"If you want to hear more, you should visit him in Istanbul, though he does go to Ankara for part of the year. He'd be happy to have visitors besides me, Mehmet, the other Turkic nations, Rozafa, and more recently, Syria." She wrinkled her nose at the mention of the last nation.

"Rozafa? Rozafa Hoxha? That's Albania, right?" Charlotte asked, and Aysel nodded.

"Yes," she confirmed, and Charlotte "hmm'd." Elizabeta doubted she would actually go to Turkey and talk to him, but at least she was interested.

"I know what we should talk about," said Irunya after a semi-awkward silence. They all looked at her curiously before Irunya smiled widely. "This is a girl's night, and what do girls usually talk about?"

"We've already talked about boys," Eva pointed out, and Irunya shook her head.

"Oh, us and boys!" Charlotte said, perking up again.

"So, Char, like anyone? Love anyone? Boy or girl or Poland?" asked Elizabeta, and Charlotte burst out laughing. Eva and Irunya were trying hard not to laugh, while Aysel smiled softly and continued to gaze at Elizabeta. "Anyone you find cute?"

"Well, for anyone I find cute, I still say Spain, Italy, and my two brothers," Charlotte said, and Elizabeta rolled her eyes, "but there's this one guy I really like right now. I think I might love him."

"Who? Who? Charlotte Kuijpers, tell me!" Elizabeta squealed, excited at the thought of the Belgian loving someone. The last time she really liked someone, it was Spain, but that was hundreds of years ago, and everyone knew that he and South Italy were "doing the do."

"Ecuador," she said, and she giggled. Elizabeta and Eva grinned at each other, thinking it was adorable how Charlotte was finally in actual love with someone.

"He is pretty good looking," said Elizabeta, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Charlotte hit her arm playfully.

"I know he is! And he's such a cutie, too! He's a gentleman, but he's so passionate and loving and he's not afraid to get his hands dirty-"

"I'm guessing you two have done the do?" asked Elizabeta like she just found out the dirtiest secret.

"No, we have most certainly not done that!" Charlotte exclaimed, mouth wide open with shock, but then a cattish grin appeared on her face. "But I can't wait until that day arrives."

"Ooh la la," Elizabeta sang, and all of them, except for Aysel, giggled girlishly. Aysel sat back and smiled, though her eyes were set firmly on the floor in front of her.

_Poor girl, _Elizabeta thought to herself. _We must be making her uncomfortable._

"What about you, Eva? Any cute boys?" Charlotte asked, and the Liechtensteiner blushed. "Still hung up on Kugelmugel?"

"Oh my God, whenever I see him, I always feel like he's Roderich's and Prussia's love child even though it's impossible for a man to get pregnant!" Elizabeta exclaimed, running out of breath by the time she finished.

"Or maybe it's not," said Charlotte, winking, and Elizabeta squealed excitedly.

"That would be the most amazing day ever! Can you imagine every single yaoi couple having a child? Would their children be nations? What would their names be?" By the time Elizabeta finished, she noticed that she had started shouting, and all the other girls burst out laughing at her excitement, even Aysel.

"If Bastiaan had a child, he'd probably give it a stupid name like Lars," said Charlotte, and Irunya laughed.

"That's a fine Dutch name, Char!" Irunya defended with amusement in her voice.

"No, it's a dumb Dutch name, there are plenty of other ones to choose from," said Charlotte, and Eva leaned forward.

"If big bruder and Dalisay had a baby, they said they would give it a German name if it was a boy, and a Filipino or even Spanish name if it was a girl," Eva said, and Elizabeta, Charlotte, and Irunya crooned at the thought of their friend and Switzerland having a child. "But I wonder what Mr. Beilschmidt and Mr. Edelstein's child would be named."

"Definitely something German, that's for sure," said Elizabeta, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Aysel with a thoughtful expression on her face, and she grinned.

"Aysel, what do you think Turkey and Greece would name their child if they had one? What's a name you know Turkey likes?" she asked, and Aysel smiled softly.

"He likes the name Caspian, after the sea," she said, and after a moment of more thinking, she added, "and Eren."

"I like those names!" said Elizabeta, and Charlotte and Eva nodded in agreement. Irunya smiled and started gathering their plates from the floor.

"I think we should go to bed early tonight, so tomorrow we can do something fun, or just stay in all day," said Irunya, and Charlotte yawned as she stood up.

"I agree, I'm really tired. Bastiaan woke me up when he left at like, seven in the morning. God knows where he was going," said Charlotte, huffing, and Elizabeta grinned wickedly.

"He and Kiku are already sneaking out together, how cute!" she sang, and Charlotte pretended to nearly faint.

"Who will share rooms tonight?" asked Irunya, and Elizabeta, Charlotte, and Eva looked at each other. Aysel stood up and stayed next to Elizabeta, who suddenly became hyperaware of her presence. Elizabeta knew that Charlotte had wanted to share rooms, but she doubted Aysel would be comfortable with anybody but her, although the reason remained a mystery.

"I can share a room with Aysel," said Elizabeta, and she smiled apologetically at Charlotte, who flipped it off with a casual wave of her hand and an understanding expression.

"I'll share with Eva, then," the Belgian said, and she linked arms with the Liechtensteiner before they both started heading toward their room.

Aysel looked up into Elizabeta's eyes deeply before smiling gratefully.

"Thank you for offering to share a room with me," she said, and the Hungarian grinned.

"You're welcome! It'll be fun," she said, and she grabbed Aysel's hand (and hearing the girl gasp only made her tighten her hold), and led her toward the other guest room. By the time they got there, Charlotte had already placed Elizabeta's bag outside the door.

"Let's just get this into the room and we can take turns changing in the bathroom. That sound good?" asked Elizabeta, and Aysel nodded quickly, watching Elizabeta pick up her bag and open the door.

Elizabeta shivered a little once she entered the small, cold room, but when she flicked on the light, she saw a heavy set of blankets on the bed and grinned.

"Even if there's no heat, there are plenty of blankets," she said happily to Aysel, and the other girl nodded excitedly. She dumped her bag on the floor next to the bed, and she quickly took out pajamas. "I'll go first, is that all right?"

"Yes, Erzsébet," Aysel said, her brown eyes flicking back and forth between Elizabeta and the floor, and she quickly knelt down on the other side of the bed, most likely trying to find her pajamas in her bag. Before Elizabeta closed the bathroom door, though, she saw the Azerbaijani watching her from just over the top of the blankets. She smiled at the cuteness of the other girl.

Elizabeta quickly changed into a simple white tank top and boxer shorts (yes, she loved boxers) with the colors of the Hungarian flag before splashing cool water on her face. She stared at her reflection briefly, playing around with her chestnut hair for a bit before huffing silently and telling herself that it wouldn't matter what her hair looked like because they would be sleeping anyway. Green eyes stared back at her almost mockingly, and she pouted before neutralizing her expression.

She then opened the door and found Aysel sitting on the bed with an unreadable expression on her face, until she caught sight of the Hungarian. Aysel's eyes widened, and she turned away quickly, and Elizabeta looked down at herself and understood why. The other girl probably thought she didn't want her to look.

"You can look at me, Aysel," she said, giving a friendly smile. Aysel looked at her again shyly, and Elizabeta pushed on. "Did I take too long in the bathroom?" The other had already changed.

Aysel looked startled for a few seconds before shaking her head. "No, I just decided it would save time if I just changed here while you were in there."

"That's smart," said Elizabeta, giving her another smile before turning and flicking off the bathroom light. She then crossed the room and hopped onto the bed, making the springs squeak in protest. "I like your nightgown, it's very pretty."

The Azerbaijani blushed and looked down at herself before responding. "Thank you, Erzsébet."

Elizabeta smiled and pulled the blankets up before snuggling inside of them. She held them up for Aysel, too, and the girl quickly followed suit. The blankets were very warm, and within a minute, Elizabeta felt cocooned and content in the heat.

"Irunya!" she called, and the Ukrainian was at the door in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, Erzsi?" she asked, and Elizabeta gave a sheepish grin.

"Mind turning off the lights, please? I don't want to get up, it's so warm!" said Elizabeta, rolling around underneath the blankets as if to prove her point. Aysel laughed quietly from beside her.

"That's fine," said Irunya fondly, and it was immediately dark in the room except for a pale sliver of moonlight that fell across the end of the bed. "Good night."

"G'night!" said Elizabeta, laying back and holding up a thumb in the air before letting it fall to her side. Irunya closed the door behind her as she left.

"Gecən xeyrə," Aysel murmured, and Elizabeta turned to see the other's brown eyes sparkling in the dark.

"Jó éjszakát," said Elizabeta warmly, and they were both silent after that. But at one point, as Elizabeta slid into slumber, she distinctly felt another body, smaller than hers, move closer and stay there, perhaps for the rest of the night. But it was comfortable and warm, and Elizabeta fell asleep with Aysel cuddled up to her.

* * *

What Aysel said when she talked about Alfred picking Ivan is based on this quote by Johnny Depp: "If you love two people at the same time, choose the second. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second." I'll be updating next week, and please review! :)


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